Ricky May will cap his championship season with one more honor.
The Charleston football coach was chosen as the head coach of the West team for the Arkansas Coaches Association All-Star football game as released by the Arkansas Activities Association this week.
May wasn't the only coach to be selected for the All-Star games.
Mansfield coach Kaylie Pyles was chosen as an assistant on the West for the All-Star Volleyball game. Pyles, who won two state championships as a player at Mansfield, has guided Mansfield to three consecutive championships.
Van Buren coach Taylor McKenna was selected as the head coach for the West dance squad.
Booneville coach Rachael May was named as an assistant for the West cheer squad.
The All-Star volleyball, softball, baseball and soccer games will be played on June 23. The All-Star basketball and football games will be played on June 24. All games will be held on the University of Central Arkansas campus in Conway.
May will be joined on the West staff by his offensive coordinator Matt Stewart, Van Buren coach Moe Henry, Rogers Heritage coach Eric Munoz, Malvern coach J.D. Plumlee, Dierks coach Paul Ernest and Mountain Pine coach Daryl Scott.
"It's a huge honor," May said. "You're voted on by your peers and that just speaks volumes when that happens. There are so many great coaches out there that can do it, and for them to pick me is very humbling."
May's Tigers won the Class 3A state championship with an incredible three-month run through the 3A-4 conference and then the playoffs, capped by a 41-12 win over rival Booneville, which is also May's alma mater.
Charleston's offense under Stewart scored 621 points and averaged 41.1 points per game. After losing to Class 4A semifinalist Nashville in the final nonconference game, Charleston won 12 games in a row with 11 by the Arkansas Activities Association Sportsmanship Rule with the continuously running clock after a team reaches a 35-point lead in the second half.
"He's well deserving to get to go with me," May said. "He had a great year and did a great job since I've been there. It's a reward for him, too."
Stewart was selected as a player from Charleston to play in the 2006 All-Star game that included a coaching staff of Stephen Wood, the West head coach as well as his head coach and current athletic director at Greenbrier, Charleston assistant coach Doug Loughridge, now the athletic director at Alma, along with Greenwood's Rick Jones and Fayetteville's Daryl Patton.
A bonus for May and Stewart is the opportunity to coach one last time quarterback Brandon Scott and two-way lineman Roy Hudson, who were both chosen to participate.
"That's a big deal to go out with style," May said.
The All-Star coaching selection is the third for May, serving as an assistant the past two seasons, but this is his first to be the head coach, which comes with added pressure.
"Definitely," May said. "It's more work, too. We were hoping to visit at the coach's clinic this weekend with other coaches about our selections."
Henry also earned the honor as All-Star coach on May's staff and also has the opportunity coach one of his star players from this past season who is also his son, Malachi, who was selected to the West team.
"Being able to coach in the All-Star game and for him to be nominated as a player is rewarding to me," Henry said. "I felt like I won on that one to coach him one more time. To be able to do that is a blessing as well."
Moe Henry was also selected from Nashville as a player for the 1996 All-Star game. Henry played receiver, defensive back and even holder for the Scrappers.
This season, Scott was named the Outstanding Quarterback and Outstanding Defensive Back in the 3A-1. Hudson was selected as both the conference's Outstanding Offensive Lineman and Outstanding Defensive Lineman. Henry was the Outstanding Receiver from the 6A-West.
The Arkansas Activities Association will release the official rosters for the East and West football teams next week.
Ricky May of Charleston (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Hank Layton)
Charleston head coach Ricky May has been selected as the head coach of the Arkansas High School Coaches Association West All-Star football team. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Hank Layton)